Collectivism is a broad label for any ideology maintaining that society or some other group of people should matter more to an individual than his or her own self.[1] This can also mean a sacrifice of the individual to an ideology.

In economics, collectivism refers more specifically to mandated state or collective control of industrial and commercial concerns. This is often desired to further the goals of the former sort of collectivism.

These sorts of ideologies are most stridently opposed by "individualists" on those grounds, although different groups of collectivists are often at each other's throats as well over what group is more important than the individual. Of course, even extreme individualists (see below) have joined their own collectives to further their causes, making the horseshoe theory that much more interesting.

Scapegoats are a common aspect of collectivist ideologies, as it helps cement the collectives internal bonds against a common external threat and allows them to blame them for any of the collectives failures, though the level of hostility they show towards the scapegoated group often varies depending on the collective. Despite this they often feel their victory over this threat is inevitable.[2]

“”The unity of a nation's spirit and will are worth far more than the freedom of the spirit and will of an individual; and that the higher interests involved in the life of the whole must here set the limits and lay down the duties of the interests of the individual.